Firefighter Appreciation Day at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Firefighter Appreciation Day

Firefighters and their immediate families are invited to spend the day enjoying cave tours, thrill rides and kid-friendly attractions, courtesy of the mountaintop Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Members of the community can drop off cards or signs of support at the tram base by Sept. 15.

In light of the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices made by firefighters in the Roaring Fork and Grand Valleys this year, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is hosting a Firefighters Appreciation Day on Sunday, Sept. 16. These heroes and their immediate family members are invited to spend the day at the park, free of charge. For those unable to attend, a make-up day is being held Sunday, Sept. 23.

“This is our way of saying thank you to these brave men and women and their families for the sacrifices they have made,” Nancy Heard, general manager of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, said. “We are also inviting the public to drop off thank you notes and signs of support that we can display during their visit.”

To obtain the free Funday Passes, firefighters must show their badge or ID at the tram base upon arrival. The passes include transportation up and down the mountain, two walking cave tours and unlimited turns on all rides and most attractions.

Heard, whose family was evacuated during the early days of the Lake Christine Fire, added, “I know a lot of the volunteers who fought so hard to save not just our home and those of our friends and neighbors, but the entire towns of Basalt and El Jebel. I saw firsthand the incredible danger that they willingly subjected themselves to in order to serve our community. We all hope that they can take some time on the 16th or 23rd to relax, laugh and play a little, our treat.”

Anyone interested in dropping off cards, notes or signs should do so at the tram base by Saturday, Sept. 15. The park will be open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Big Changes Ahead for Iron Mountain Tramway

Updated on Nov. 19, 2019 – The day after our Goodbye Tram party, we began decommissioning our old tram.  The cabins have been sent to Grafton, Illinois which sees 1.5 million cars pass through each year to visit the booming Riverside tourism experiences.  The Iron Mountain Tram upper deck has since received major demo, removal of terminal and foundation excavation in preparation for receiving the new foundation and drive terminal.  Soon the drive terminal at the tram base will be removed along with other demo.  Everything is going as planned and while we hope for a good snow season for local skiers, we are enjoying the great November weather as work moves forward.

Updated on Oct. 17, 2018 – We’re just about done with the party planning. On Sunday, Oct. 28 we’ll be saying goodbye to the Iron Mountain Tramway with a big bash of a celebration on the mountaintop from noon to 6 p.m. Join us for throw-back pricing of $10 tram rides. This was the cost of a ride when the tram opened in April, 2003. There will be cake, drawings, prizes, free refreshments and $1 hot dogs in the plaza. We’ll also have photo opportunities to commemorate the old tram and celebrate the new one. Lastly, there will be a grand prize drawing for the final ride down the mountain at the end of the evening aboard the old tram alongside Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park owners Steve and Jeanne Beckley. Mark your calendars and plan to come out for the festivities and to help us say farewell to the original Iron Mountain Tramway.

We’re getting ready to say goodbye to an old friend. In just a few short months, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park will be retiring the current tramway which was installed in April of 2003. In service for 15 years, the tram has transported 2.2 million visitors to America’s only mountaintop theme park for cave tours, thrill rides and more. We’ll be sad to bid farewell to this stalwart workhorse, but we’re excited about ushering in a new era of visitor transportation for Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

At the end of October, we’ll begin the process of decommissioning the original tramway and installing a new state-of-the-art aerial tramway. The entire process will take several months during which the park will be temporarily closed. We expect construction to be completed by March with the new tram debuting in time for 2019 spring break and the summer season.

To keep you up-to-date on everything that’s happening with Iron Mountain Tramway before and during the construction period, you can visit us here for all the latest information. We hope to post videos, technical details and fun facts about the construction project, so be sure to check back in.

10 Ways to Keep the Summer Fun Going in Colorado

Colorado is cool in the summertime. Keep the fun going with these 10 outside activities you can enjoy across the state.

In addition to the high-flying summer fun at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, America’s only mountaintop theme park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, the entire rest of the state is a playground of outdoor adventures!

    1. Go wild. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Also giraffes, rhinoceroses, elephants, wolves, and alligators are waiting for you at major zoos. Check out the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, and the Colorado Gators Reptile Park in Mosca.
    2. Take a hike. Smell the wildflowers at Yankee Boy Basin near Ouray, Shrine Pass near Frisco, or Lake Isabel near Colorado City. Enjoy the waterfalls at Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs, Seven Falls in Colorado Springs, or Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride. Retrace history on the Santa Fe Trail’s Sierra Vista Overlook near La Junta, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Pueblo dwellings in Montezuma County, Skyline Drive dinosaur tracks near Cañon City. View elk at Horseshoe Park in Rocky Mountain National Park, bighorn sheep and mountain goats at Mount Evans Wilderness Area near Idaho Springs, and moose at State Forest State Park near Walden.
    3. Camp out. Find cabins and yurts at Golden Gate Canyon State Park near Golden; wilderness backpacking at West Fork Campground near Pagosa Springs, Trappers Lake near Meeker, and Ansel Watrous Campground near Bellvue; and lakeside tent and RV sites at Elk Creek Campground near Grand Lake, Cherry Creek State Park near Aurora, and John Martin Reservoir State Park near Hasty; and amazing views at Silver Bar Campground near Aspen and Moraine Park Campground near Estes Park.
    4. Ride a bike.  It’s summer, so you can pedal down the ski slopes on Vail Mountain, Purgatory, and Keystone Resort, with a ride-up on the gondolas. You’ll find bike parks at Winter Park Resort, Lory State Park near Fort Collins, and Palmer Park in Colorado Springs, and paved routes in Glenwood Springs, Denver, Vail, and Golden. Mountain biking was invented at Crested Butte, where you can find a great singletrack rides.
    5. Float your boat. Waterski at Navajo State Park, Jackson Lake State Park, and Blue Mesa Reservoir; canoe at Lake Granby in Granby, Gross Reservoir near Eldorado Springs, and the Colorado River near Palisade; fish at Grand Mesa Lakes near Cedaredge, Lake Pueblo State Park, and Steamboat Lake State Park; sail at Lake Dillon in Dillon, Grand Lake, and the Ruedi Reservoir in Basalt.
    6. Swing your club. Golf at mountain courses such as Pole Creek Golf Club, Copper Creek Golf Club, Breckenridge Golf Course, among rock formations at Arrowhead Golf Course and dinosaur footprints at Fossil Trace Golf Club, or on the highest course on the continent at Mount Massive Golf Course.
    7. Go underground. Get out of the sun at Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs, Rifle Falls State Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Whit4e River National Forest and our own Glenwood Caverns.
    8. Eat & Drink. As the fruit ripens across the season, check out the peach, cherry, and apple orchards and the wineries on the Western Slope, especially around Palisade, Grand Junction, Paonia, Hotchkiss and Cedaredge.
    9. Paddle whitewater. Go for the fast water in the Arkansas River Headwaters near Salida, Gunnison Gorge near Gunnison or Browns Canyon National Monument near Buena Vista. Take it a little milder at Glenwood Canyon near Glenwood Springs, Ruby Canyon near Grand Junction, or Eagle River near Gypsum. Take it easy at Cottonwood Lake near Buena Vista, Pearl Lake State Park, or Barr Lake State Park. For whitewater, hit Confluence Park in Denver; Clear Creek Whitewater Park, Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park, or Gunnison Whitewater Park.
    10. Get festive. Join the celebrations at the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival July 6-15, the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo July 14-15 in Steamboat Springs, the Denver Underground Music Showcase July 26-29, the Vail Dance Festival July 28-Aug. 11, the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo Aug. 28-Sept. 3, and A Taste of Colorado in Denver Aug. 31-Sept. 3.

For more information on these and other summer activities in Colorado, visit https://www.colorado.com/articles/colorado-family-attractions-summer, https://www.colorado.com/articles/5-things-do-colorado-summers-over, and https://www.colorado.com/articles/8-ways-love-colorado-summer.

Explore Glenwood's many hiking trails

Pop-pop-ular Popcorn Wagon Opens for the Season

To the delight of visitors of all ages, the Popcorn Wagon serves, you guessed it, scoops upon scoops of freshly-popped buttery popcorn, but that’s not all. Over the years the Popcorn Wagon’s funnel cakes have outpaced the sale of popcorn. The crispy, crunchy, melt-in-your mouth deep-fried batter is a county fair staple and it’s also a favorite treat at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, especially when topped with powdered sugar and strawberries!

You’ll find the iconic red wagon with its striped awning and yellow wheels stationed at the west end of the Park, between the building that houses the Shootin’ Gallery and Old Tyme Photos and the Climbing Wall. See our new interactive map for its precise location and check out the short video clips of the rides and attractions.

Enjoy a delicious meal and a spectacular view at the Lookout Grille

Fun Fact: A precursor to the modern food truck, the mobile popcorn machine has been around for well over a century. It was created by Charles Cretors who trotted it out for the first time at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. It was designed to move to any location that the operator thought would be a good place to do a brisk business. Since then, popcorn wagons have become a staple at fairs, carnivals, rallies and theme parks.

In addition to popcorn and funnel cakes, The Popcorn Wagon serves up other theme park food favorites including chips, corn dogs, cotton candy and new this year—cinnamon glazed nuts. It’s also a convenient place to hydrate with a selection of drinks: bottled water, soda, Powerade and freshly squeezed lemonade.

The Popcorn Wagon is just one of several places to grab a bite at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The Lookout Grille at the Visitor Center offers a casual sit-down dining experience for lunch and dinner with grill favorites that include burgers, wraps, chef specials and kids meals. There’s also a full bar for adults to enjoy a cold beer, glass of wine or cocktail.

The Snack Shack, located in the Plaza, is a perfect for on-the-go snacks and meals. You’ll find pizza, brats, hot dogs, ice cream, sno-cones and cold drinks including beer. Eat on the go or sit at one of the nearby picnic tables.

Homemade fudge at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Try Glenwood Caverns’ creamy fudge in an assortment of flavors

 

If you just need to satisfy your sweet tooth, stop by the General Store. Every day the staff makes fresh batches of creamy homemade fudge. Peanut Butter Fudge is a customer favorite, as is Cookies-n-Cream and Rocky Road.

Along with experiencing all the thrill rides and attractions, eating is a big and satisfying part of the fun at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park! Find out more at glenwoodcavdev.wpengine.com.

Music on the Mountain Hits It Out of the Park with 2018 Lineup

Music on the Mountain is ten for ten! Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’s concert series is opening its tenth season with 10 mountaintop performances starting May 19. 

Get your groove on at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado and let the good times roll! The 2018 Music on the Mountain season begins on Saturday, May 19, with the Goodman Band and two performances by Dance of the Sacred Fire, and continues with concerts in June, August and September.

All Music on the Mountain concerts are free with cans-for-a-tram rides beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturdays with music from 6 – 10 p.m.; and for Sunday shows at 2 p.m. with performances from 4 – 8 p.m.  To hop aboard the Iron Mountain Tramway for free just donate a canned or non-perishable food item. The cans-for-a-tram program helps to stock the shelves of Lift-Up, the local food pantry. To date, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park has collected more than 66,000 cans and food items!

Whiskey Stomp band

With all the dancing you’ll be doing, you’re sure to get hungry. Grab a bite at the Lookout Grille or Snack Shack, both are open for dinner and refreshments, with drink specials available inside and in the outdoor plaza. Guests can also enjoy the park’s rides and attractions during the events. A Funday Pass, just $38 with the free tram ride, includes both walking cave tours and unlimited access to all open rides. The outdoor rides are open until dusk; the Laser Tag arena and 4D Motion Theater are open until the park closes.

Music on the Mountain would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Thank you to: Bighorn Toyota, Glenwood Insurance Agency, Community Banks of Colorado, Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Lift FM, Swire Coca-Cola, Glenwood TV, Hotel Glenwood Springs, Young Services and Iron Mountain Hot Springs.

2018 Music on the Mountain Lineup

 Saturday May 19—Music on the Mountain kicks off with The Goodman Band playing Stevie Ray Vaughan covers and classic rock, plus two performances of Dance of the Sacred Fire, a mesmerizing, high energy show featuring flame throwing and fire breathing!

Saturday, June 2—Whiskey Stomp; bluegrass, funk, Latino, rock, jazz, country and original songs

Saturday, June 9—The Mixx;  Top 40s, R&B, classic rock, funk, country, blues, and good ol’ rock and roll!

Sunday, June 10—Motivado; Tex-Mex, Sierreno and Norteño

Saturday, Aug. 18—Fifty50; classic, modern and original rock

Saturday Aug. 25—Hell Roaring Stringband and Defiance String Band; a string band double-header featuring American hoedown, bluegrass, swing, rags, waltzes and more

Saturday, Sept. 8—Vidicus Maximus; rock, funk, blues, soul and pop

Sunday, Sept. 9—Christian Music on the Mountain featuring talent from The Orchard in Carbondale

Saturday, Sept. 15—The Missing Link Band; country, rock, blues, pop and R&B

Saturday, Sept. 22—Emotional Rescue; a Rolling Stones cover band

In addition to Music on the Mountain, Friday Afternoon Club on the Mountain returns from June 15 through Aug. 10. Tram rides are free after 4 p.m. with a coupon from the Post Independent. The melodrama, Trouble Bubbles at the Iron Mountain Hot Springs, begins Memorial Weekend and continues through Labor Day with shows at 1 and 2:30 p.m. Friday through Monday.

Find out more about what’s happening this summer at America’s only mountaintop theme park at glenwoodcavdev.wpengine.com.

Check Out Our New Interactive Park Map

Use our new interactive map to preview thrill rides and attractions at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

We’ve created a fun, new interactive map and uploaded it to our website at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The interactive map enables guests to visually sample all the Park’s thrill rides and attractions.

Have you ever stood at the tram base wondered what’s up on top of that mountain?  Now you can see all the highlights before you head up the Iron Mountain Tramway to America’s only mountaintop theme park. To get an idea of what you and your family or friends might experience over the course of a day or a few hours at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, click on the map’s green plus (+) signs to open video windows. Just 10 – 15 seconds long, the videos give viewers a sense of what they can expect so they can better plan their time at the Park.

The interactive map shows clips of how visitors access the Park via the Iron Mountain Tramway and sneaks a peek at the King’s Row and Historic Fairy Cave tours. Videos of the thrill rides create a sense of anticipation for future park-goers and include: Giant Canyon Swing, Glenwood Canyon Flyer, Cliffside Roller Coaster, Soaring Eagle Zip Ride and Alpine Coaster. The Park’s attractions are also featured—Laser Tag, 4D Theater, Giddy Up Ride, Mine Wheel, Climbing Wall and the Wild West Express.

We hope our new interactive map helps your visualize and plan your next visit to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. Find more detailed information about all the Park’s offerings and purchase tickets at glenwoodcavdev.wpengine.com.

Traveling with Teens: Problems Solved at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Cliff Hanger Roller Coaster at Glenwood Caverns

If you’re looking for a family trip where your teenager won’t get bored, try the thrill rides, cave tours, and technology attractions Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. We’ll provide plenty of adrenaline, interest, and fun for the whole family. 

For the teen who likes living on the edge, nothing surpasses our mountaintop Cliffhanger Roller Coaster, at the highest elevation in North America and 1,450 feet above the Colorado River, or our Giant Canyon Swing that takes you into the void 1,300 feet above the river. If you want to really hang over that empty space, there’s the 625-foot Soaring Eagle Zip Ride. If you’d rather make the dizzying downhill on land, we have America’s first Alpine Coaster that will whip through 3,400 feet, then give you a relaxing ride back up to enjoy the view.

If your teen is into nature, our mountain also offers three cave tours. You can take a guided quarter-mile stroll through the enchanting Fairy Cave, with beautiful formations, tree roots in the ceiling, and a section with replica century-old lighting to recall that this was one of first electrically-illuminated caves ever. Spacious Kings Row, the most highly-decorated cave room in Colorado, has a light show to highlight its striking formations. We also have a challenging special 2-hour guided Wild Cave tour with tight passageways to sights rarely seen.

If your teen is into technology, they’ll love our 4D Motion Theater, the first in Colorado, a thrill-ride-meets-digital animation with moving seats, surround sound, and special effects that make you feel like you’re inside the movie. You can also join an Old West shootout updated with Laser Tag or see some really old technology at our working Blacksmith Shop.

Along with plenty of attractions, activities, shows, and rides for the parents, the younger children, and the whole family together to enjoy, these thrilling and fascinating activities will ensure that everyone, including the teens, goes home with fun and fond memories of this vacation that will last forever.

For notoriously hard-to-please teenagers, plan a Colorado vacation that will give them something to smile about! Visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

The Family that Theme Parks Together Reunites Together

Family at Glenwood Caverns
Family at Glenwood Caverns

With families spread out across the country like never before, the logistics of organizing a family reunion can become especially challenging. When the group is too big for a backyard picnic, families look to larger venues to handle issues such as lodging, food and activities that can interest multiple generations.

“For larger reunions, you may want to consider a park, campground, a nice resort, or maybe even a theme park,” advises the popular site Family-reunion.com.  In reunionsmag.com, Jacky Runice points out that theme parks like Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park even provide a metaphor for families: “Since we all know family life is like a roller coaster ride with its ups, downs, sudden turns and heads bumping together, why not go with the flow and consider a family reunion around a theme park vacation?”

Once you’ve decided on a theme park location, someone in the family should take the lead as organizer for the group and liaison with the venue. That means communicating with everyone to choose the best date (with plenty of time in advance to arrange work schedules), purchase the tickets (which may involve tailoring tickets to individuals’ preferences), book the lodging and meals (after reaching general agreement on budget), and coordinating transportation (individuals and families can make their own plans, but the leaders should know the itineraries).

At Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, groups of 25 or more can get catered meals and special rates for admission. There’s a wide variety of shows, entertainment, rides and attractions for all ages, plenty of lodging nearby, and you can even add an excursion for a relaxing, healthy soak at Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Contact us for more information. We promise a mountaintop experience that your family will remember for generations to come!

A Faster Ride to the Top: New Tram Coming to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

When you can’t wait for the fun to start, you want to get to where you’re going—fast.  With guest satisfaction in mind, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park will soon install a speedy new tram that transports visitors to America’s only mountaintop theme park faster than ever before.

It won’t be long before Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park welcomes guests aboard a state-of-the-art new tramway slated for installation later this year. The new tram will double the speed and triple the capacity of the current Iron Mountain Tramway, the main transport system that takes visitors via gondola cars from the floor of the Roaring Fork Valley to the top of Iron Mountain, an elevation gain of 1,300 feet.

The new tramway will be comprised of 44 detachable, six-passenger cabins with a capacity to convey up to 1,000 people per hour. For comparison, the current tram, with 18 cabins, transports 300 visitors per hour. The new tram will cut the travel time in half, from 12-15 minutes to approximately seven minutes, effectively eliminating customer wait times. In addition to its speed, the new tram will be more reliable. The detachable tram is designed to equally distribute the weight of the cabins across all the towers, which will allow it to sustain higher winds without impacting operations. “This system will help us enhance our guests’ experience by reducing wait times and reducing the frequency of weather-related tram closures,” Nancy Heard, general manager of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, explained. “It will be more stable in high-wind conditions and will eliminate 80 percent of the shutdowns caused by wind and lightning.”

The reason the new tram will be less susceptible to weather-related closures is twofold. First, operators will have the ability to clear people off the tram in seven minutes rather than 15. Second, the new tram will have lightning arrestors that will dissipate the electricity and minimize the potential damage to the tram. This will allow operators to wait to see if a storm develops before deciding to shut down the tram. Currently, the tram closes as a precaution even though in some cases storms may not materialize. The more resilient new tram will reduce the need to run busses and Adventure Vehicles up and down the mountain during inclement weather.

For guests attending Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park events such as Music on the Mountain, Friday Afternoon Club, Octoberfest or Winter on the Mountain, the high capacity and more dependable tram will be an asset to event attendees who want to depart at the end of a show, a time when there is a high demand to return to the base.

As for the timeline, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park will be open as usual during the peak season from spring through Oct. 28, 2018. During the construction of the new tramway, from mid-November through mid-March, 2019, the park will be temporarily closed.

After the new tram is installed, it’s full-speed ahead for fun at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park!

Glenwood Caverns to Host National Caves Association Convention

Take a cave tour at Glenwood Caverns for National Caves and Karst Day!

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is preparing for the 2018 National Caves Association Convention, September 24 – 28.  The event will give America’s only mountaintop theme park an opportunity to welcome members and show off its own spectacular show cave and park.

For five days in September, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park will host the 53rd annual National Caves Association (NCA) Convention. The NCA represents 80 show caves from across the US, Bermuda and Barbados—including Glenwood Caverns. It was founded in 1965 by a small group of private show cave owners with the goal of encouraging the public to discover America’s underground wonders.

The NCA website highlights some of America’s most enchanting subterranean landscapes. In addition to Glenwood Caverns, a sampling of other show caves from across the country includes Natural Bridge Caverns and Caverns of Sonora, both in Texas; Moaning Cavern in California; Lost Sea Caverns in Tennessee and Luray Caverns in Virginia.

The NCA is also dedicated to educating about cave science. They provide material resources; give talks and tours about everything from cave critters and how to protect the fragile cave environment to the mesmerizing cave formations that delight visitors.  At Glenwood Caverns guests learn about stalactites, stalagmites, cave bacon, popcorn, flowstone and soda straws on the King’s Row and Fairy Caves tours.

NCA visitors are encouraged to explore Glenwood Springs while they are in town for the convention.

During the convention, the NCA group will gather for a welcome reception at Iron Mountain Hot Springs, attend a series of discussions and a vendor showcase at the Hotel Colorado, and have an opportunity to participate in both planned and free-time activities. Conference breakout sessions will include topics such as cave lighting, social media savvy, ride safety, and how to create a successful destination business presented by Jon Schallert. The keynote speaker, to be announced, will likely be a representative from a Colorado company within the tourism industry.

While in town, convention attendees will also have the chance to experience classic Colorado and Glenwood Springs activities. High Canyon Adventures at Bair Ranch will lead jeeping and horseback riding excursions into the high country above Glenwood Canyon. Guests can also take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and all that Glenwood Springs has to offer with self-planned outings like cycling in Glenwood Canyon, fly fishing, tandem paragliding adventures, golfing at the area’s championship links and of course soaking in the geothermal waters.

Visiting cave aficionados will also get the opportunity to take a turn on all the rides and attractions at Glenwood Cavern Adventure. Glenwood Caverns is excited and proud to host the 2018 NCA Convention. We look forward to meeting our colleagues from across the country, learning from one another and sharing our passion for both caving and business at this year’s event.

Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs

Spend some time relaxing at Iron Mountain Hot Springs during the NCA convention.